Ashes

Arch II. Empire of Steel. Legend 9. Heroes

Empire of Steel. Stargazers Tower. It is located in the castle. The Ghost paces back and forth, wondering what to do next. He was tired of the heroes he had to deal with over and over, and over again. Each meeting seemed to kill a particle of something living in him, making him a merciless tyrant, incapable of compassion. There was one more thing that haunted him. Eclip. He didn't know exactly why the young man had come here, and whether he really only wanted Abby.

The Ghost silently looked at the flickering sky. He felt hopeless. On the one hand, he is the wise ruler of the kingdom of shadows, who does not dare to argue with fate. On the other hand, he is a father who does not want to keep his child locked up. His thoughts left many questions. But how do you find the answers and understand what to do next?

On the walls of the tower hung old paintings in which The Ghost saw reflections of the past. They depicted scenes of battles and dangers that happened to the heroes, as well as to himself. These paintings are reminders of the lessons that needed to be learned.

But what did these heroes fight for? Why did their self-confidence always lead to destruction and the death of hundreds of people? The answer was always the same - for the sake of power and love. All this is their weakness, and The Ghost understood this perfectly.

Or maybe love called Eclip to the kingdom of shadows? He was distracted from his thoughts by a bright beam of light. He led from the Church of the Damned into heaven, as if cutting it in half. John looked at this silently, and a feeling of emptiness grew inside. When the beam went out, a new picture appeared on the wall. The Ghost looked at her intently. Under a thousand damned eyes, Dean makes a deal with Eclip. But what for?

The Ghost immediately remembered their first meeting

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After the trial, the young boy was expelled to the Empire of Steel. As soon as the door closed behind him, he immediately began to panic. Knocking on the door in hysterics, he begs to be let out, to be returned home... To be given a second chance... Thoughts and emotions were spinning in his head. He cursed himself for his mistakes and decisions, realizing that this led him to such terrible consequences. The feeling of disappointment came in waves, causing him to doubt himself and his abilities.

However, despite this, Hermes, that was his old name he had before new life here, retained a spark of hope for a long time. He dreamed of a second chance. Deep down, he believed that he could prove to everyone that he was pure in soul.

The young man spent day after day at the entrance to the Empire, literally sleeping under the gates. On one of these days, the Ghost found him. The young man at first thought that it was a figment of his imagination, and then decided that it was a gift of fate.

When The Ghost finally stopped in front of the wanderer, he felt a strong wave of energy emanating from him. The ghost looked at the young man. His gaze was penetrating, as if he was looking straight into the soul. Hermes seemed to stop breathing, waiting for what would happen next.

"Are you okay, little one?" he began to speak. His voice was soft and calm. He didn't want his guest to feel danger.

"A-are you my executioner?" the young man still felt fear of such a powerful ruler

"Not at all, be not afraid. I know what happened above. But I didn't know anyone was expelled." The Ghost put his hand on his shoulder. "Listen, my child. Everyone makes mistakes. It is an integral part of who we are. Mistakes do not distinguish us from the "ideal". The only thing we can do is accept them and learn some lessons."

"How would you know about this?" Hermes's voice sounded distant and seemed to contain resentment.

"Trust me, kid. I, like you, have made mistakes. One of them was service to the Mayor, who seemed to have gone crazy after the death of his younger brother."

The Ghost shared with Hermes his stories and the lessons he learned from his own mistakes. Gradually, fear and despair began to give way to hope. He realized that it was important to learn to accept his mistakes in order to become stronger.

Meeting The Ghost changed his life. And, if at first it was difficult for him to get used to his new life, then every soul knew that it was not worth messing with him. Lessons were learned, but the results were completely different, not what The Ghost expected.

So, the once young and frightened boy became a merciless and deceitful god, making deals for his own benefit. The Ghost became a hero for Hermes, but the young man considered the ruler's decisions a sign of weakness